Why You Should Wear Golf Shoes

Wearing golf shoes on the course is not usually required but there are various benefits to putting them on to play golf. Some golf courses have strict policies with regards to the dress code and damage to their putting greens.

For those without any rules, you could play golf in anything from running shoes to flip flops. However, if you do not have adequate foot wear, expect to slip or slide on the wet grass or hilly areas of the golf course.

Golf shoes really come into play when the course is wet during the winter. It can be as slippery as an ice rink at times and spiked golf shoes really play a huge role. If you do not have the best golf shoes for the winter, find some rubber sole shoes with plenty of ridges for additional grip.

Benefits Of Wearing Golf Shoes

As you would expect from the nature of the shoe, they can only be used on the golf course and they are usually more expensive than standard shoes. So why bother buying them in the first place? Below are just some of the reason golf shoes are beneficial to your golfing game:

Prevents your feet moving during a swing.

Smart and follow the golfing clothing equate.

Sturdiness and the spikes reduce the chance of slipping.

Support on areas where the foot moves most inside the shoe.

High waterproof rating to reduce the chance of wet feet.

More traction on uneven ground i.e. near ponds or bunkers.

For a golfer that wants to increase their performance, golf shoes are essential to reduce any movement during the golf swing. A good fitting pair of golf shoes will reduce movement inside the shoe and provide support to movements in your feet during the swing.

If you are out early in the morning, dew on the grass is pretty standard. Without golf shoes, you will most probably slip during the downward swing. If you have just purchased a driver to increase the distance of your drive but not looked into golf shoes, you should check our spiked and spikeless golf shoes article.

Good Looking Golf Shoes

Golf shoes used to look very boring and unattractive around a decade ago, with the majority simply being black with limited styles. Nowadays, you can expect a range of styles from a trainer style, to formal and even sandals.

The styles haven’t just change, the comfort level has also increased so that you feel no pain after 18 holes. Walking over hilly courses can be fairly tiring on your feet, but golf shoes often come with additional support on certain areas of the shoe. The best shoes for comfort often have advanced foam to counter the spikes in the shoes and provide additional support.

Although Golf Shoes are not a requirement on the majority of courses, they certainly provide many benefits. Start with a cheap pair and once you see the additional qualities they provide, move up to the premium golf shoes.

Spiked v Spikeless Golf Shoes

The traditional spiked golf shoes are the usual footwear for all seasons but some golfers prefer to switch to spikeless shoes during the summer. This is because they are usually more comfier than spiked shoes and lighter on your feet.

That’s not to say that spiked shoes aren’t comfy, premium spiked shoes can be used all day round. However, using spikeless shoes on wet or damp golf courses will not give you the stability required when walking around or swinging a golf club.

Material Used In Golf Shoes

As the footwear for golfing has been around for endless years, investment into research and development has been too. The materials used in a range of golfing shoes differ from leather, waterproof lining and synthetic.

Leather shoes are most popular but the manufacturing costs are slightly more for high quality leather. The leather shoes are great for the summer as they can breathe more than other alternative material.

Synthetic shoes is the alternative and they are often much cheaper as the material is man-made. The quality suffers slightly due to the thinner nonporous polyester but on the plus side, they are often lighter on your feet and your bank balance.

Waterproofing linings will be used in the form of Goretex, which is a thick water resistant material that is very popular during winter. Although it is thick, it is also breathable but the drawback is that they can become very hot during summer play.